Rádio a serviço da comunidade

Abstract

The article stresses the importance of using the radio to transmit health education programs. The Health Ministry initiative, through the Information Coordination, in a partnership with the Brasília University Communications College, produced, between 1994 and 1995, a series of radio programs on health education aimed at poor communities in Northeastern Brazil. The author stresses the project's concern in not repeating previous errors in the conception, formatting and transmission of educational programs on the radio. It discusses how it is possible to get commercial radios and the community to adhere to institutional project transmissions and it deals with the importance of opening an effective communication channel with the community. Thematic programs, in the magazine format, lasted 15 minutes and had breaks and spots that allowed for the stations to have greater freedom to air the project. In the evaluation stressed the importance of professional production, in tune with the community needs and with the vehicle's own language demands. It was concluded that most stations that aired the programs considered the experience positive since they were successful among the listeners.